Trial and Error
by bs13
Summary: MK was always sceptic about her dad's unhealthy belief in government spies. So when she's sucked into the world of the spies her father had always been consumed with finding, she struggles through believing in what is and isn't true, all while falling in love along the way. MK/Nod and Ronin/Tara.


**This is my first try at an Epic story. Of course, I'm not the best person to write something like this, but I can try it. I want to thank author liltrix for her encouragement and for reading this when I first wrote it. You should check her out. She has an amazing Rise of the Guardians fic called "Touch is a funny thing" that is just wonderful. She's also on Deviantart and draws as well as she can write, so check her out there, too!**

**Dislcaimer: I don't own Epic or any of its affiliates.**

* * *

A secret agent had to be refined. They had to be good at hiding. They had to have patience. They had to be easy with words. They had to be good at keeping secrets. They weren't all about the killing.

They just had to be able to kill without batting an eyelash.

Ronin's eyes darted around, taking in the surroundings. The dark hid him well as he ducked behind a building, a spotlight roaming about aimlessly. He turned on his headpiece as his eyes spotted a dark figure moving across the rooftop of a building next to his.

"I see movement in sector forty-seven," Ronin said quietly. "All teams remain tight, except for team twenty. Team twenty, check out the source of the movement."

"Should we wait for you agent Ronin?" a voice crackled through his headpiece. Ronin kept his eye on the dark figure and he felt his eyes narrow.

"I'm already there," Ronin said dangerously. He dove off the building, a grappling hook attaching itself to the other. As he jumped with ease on the second building, he saw the figure begin to run. "Team twenty! Go on red alert. I repeat, _red alert_!" He took off in a run after the figure.

A group of trained young men and women then landed on the rooftop, armed heavily and clad in black from head to toe. The figure pulled out his own weapon. As the spotlight roamed over him, his face was illuminated.

He was a Boggan. One of many terrorists consumed with bringing down the president of the United States. Their leader was Mandrake, who happened to be part of Ronin's group before he double crossed them.

Ronin didn't make any hesitation as he pulled out his gun and shot, the body of the Boggan hitting the floor with a dull thud.

Ronin was the commander in chief of their spy agency, acting to protect the leader of their spy agency, a woman called Tara. Tara kept all secret codes vital to the president and the welfare of the United States, so she was a target for the Boggans.

"It's time," Ronin announced as he stood over the fallen man, facing team twenty. "Tonight, Tara will transfer the codes to the president. All systems must take care of their sectors to ensure she does not get interrupted. Before-"

"Couldn't we just have interrogated the dude you just killed?" a voice interrupted his instructions. "Did you really have to _kill_ the guy? I mean come on, we could've taken down Mandrake this way! He could've given us information on Mandrake's whereabouts and-"

"That's enough, Nod," Ronin interrupted the young agent. "Everyone, go back to your sector. Nod, you stay here." The fit, brown-haired young man gave a dramatic groan as the others left.

"Why do you always lecture me? I didn't even do anything!" Nod argued.

"I haven't accused you of anything, have I?" Ronin said. "Nod, if you're going to join this team, you can't question anything we do. Agreed?"

"I'm not going to stand by when you're putting the world at risk," Nod snapped.

"I'm doing what we're supposed to do. Keeping Tara safe," Ronin said. "And by the way, I heard that you came in late today. Again."

"By a couple minutes," Nod grumbled.

"You came half an hour late." Ronin said sharply. "I know you have the potential to be the best agent here. You just don't dedicate yourself to the job or your teammates. We are all about-"

"-Teamwork." Nod finished. "I _know_. Will you lay off already?"

"I am not going to _lay off_," Ronin said. "You made a commitment. And I expect just as much effort from you than from any other agent on your system. Are we clear?"

"You know, I don't even _have_ to be here," Nod said. "My dad always said the best man works alone."

"Your dad isn't here," Ronin snapped, harsher than he intended. Nod looked away. "Nod, I'm not trying to be the bad guy here. But your dad entrusted me to turn you into the best secret agent this world's ever seen and I don't want to prove myself unworthy..."

"Well Dad was on his deathbed. He must've had something wrong with his brain." Nod said. "I'm out of here." He shot his grappling hook away with a few cuss words. As he zipped away, he cursed himself for leaving.

Running away like he always did.

He landed before a small garage that was hidden from everyone, where all secret agents hid their motorcycles. Nod found his: a small, slightly rusted hunk of metal that could go to incredible speeds.

He attached his grappling hook to his belt before boarding his motorcycle. A voice calling for him came through his headpiece, but he ignored it. Right now all he needed was to get away. Nod threw his leg over the seat, hesitating for a second call for him over the headpiece...but no, he couldn't. He drove off, slowly picking up speed and enjoying the rush of the air around him as he had no helmet.

That was when the first shot rang out.

A Boggan on a sleek black motorcycle was right behind him, his gun aimed right at Nod. Nod gritted his teeth as he began to pick up speed. More gunshots. It was so dark, it was hard to see. Nod turned on his lights as he entered the packed freeway. The Boggan wasn't far behind.

Nod clenched his legs tightly around his motorcycle as he hunched over farther. He was starting to get annoyed. A car from beside him honked, but Nod sped past them without even acknowledging it. The Boggan shot once more, though he fell a few feet behind.

Nod swerved hard, moving to another lane, but the Boggan expertly avoided cars to keep following him. Gripping the handles tightly, Nod jerked the car a few more lanes to the right. The Boggan followed suit and Nod felt his hands clench tighter. His ears filled with the sound of car honks and cuss words as he began to pick up speed.

_Damn_, Nod thought as he saw the Boggan out of the corner of his eyes. The Boggan had no trouble staying at such a high speed while adjusting a gun, but Nod would be lucky if he could even keep speeding up.

"Nod, we have eyes on you. Slow down!" Ronin's voice came over his headpiece, which he forgot to turn off. Well screw it. Nod continued to press forward as more shots rang out. What sense would it be to slow down? A bullet hit the side of his motorcycle, making a loud clanging sound. Police sirens began to wail. Nod continued, shifting lanes once more. The Boggan shifted in front of Nod, his gun aimed-

Another shot.

Nod watched as the Boggan's motorcycle crashed over the railing on the freeway. Nod turned into a carpool area a few yards away, his body heaving at the unexpected jerk of a stop. Without thinking, he turned his head to where the Boggan had fallen.

Ronin's cold grey eyes met his, and he shook his head with one slow, sweeping movement. Nod eyed the gun in Ronin's hands as he connected the pieces.

"What, do you want to gloat? I had everything under control," Nod said through his headpiece.

"Your motorcycle would've died," Ronin's voice was steely, though laced with static. "That Boggan would have caught up to you and killed you before you could pull out your gun. You'd be dead if I hadn't saved you."

"I didn't ask you, did I?" Nod said haughtily. "I can do things on my own and I sure don't need your help. Don't waste your time on me, Ronin."

"Your team will be waiting for you. Don't be late." Ronin ignored his words, sure that Nod would give in and go back to the agency. Nod ripped off his headpiece, making sure that Ronin was watching. He pulled out his gun, threw the headpiece in the air, and shot.

And if it was one thing Nod was good at, it was aim.

* * *

"We can get you an escort," Ronin said as he stood before Tara, both of them in secret underground headquarters. "It won't be very safe right now. Boggans have infiltrated our turf, and-"

"Are you telling me that your precious teams hiding all over town have failed you?" Tara gave a light, airy laugh. "Oh Ronin. I never thought I'd see the day."

"There's nothing you need to worry about," Ronin ignored her jab. "I'll assign my best team, and there will be nothing that can get in the way of you and-"

"Will you get a load of all that BS?" Tara said to the bodyguards that stood stiffly at her sides. "The guy is always so _serious_."

"Tara, this is no joking matter!" Ronin snapped.

"Ooh, anger he can do," Tara said. "C'mon, Ronin, where's that smile? You know, like back in the good old high school days?"

"Tara." Ronin's voice was tired. "Give it a rest."

"I never remembered you to be so high strung before," Tara said. She picked up one of the many guns she had lining the walls, examining the trigger. Ronin tensed visibly. Tara smirked. "I'm not going to shoot myself."

"I didn't say you were going to," Ronin looked away. Tara hitched the gun on the belt of her sleek black jumpsuit.

"One smile, and I'll talk to you about security needed." Tara offered.

"I'm not here to trade stupid things like _smiles_," Ronin said. "I'm here to make sure you'll be safe."

"Safe?" Tara snorted. "Ha! When was the last time I was ever safe?"

She did make a good point.

"I don't want to see you get hurt!" Ronin snapped.

"Is that concern I hear?" Tara smiled, and she sauntered over to Ronin, letting her fingertips graze his chin. "You're sweet. I'll give you that. But you don't need to get so worked up over it. I'm not helpless."

"I didn't-"

"-say you were." Tara finished. "Loosen up already! This is kind of fun, being always running around and having all these cool guns..."

"For the leader of a spy ring who's constantly in danger, you're too playful," Ronin remarked, crossing his arms. "These guns aren't toys."

"And for the guard of a playful woman, you're way too serious," Tara retorted, and she slipped her fingers away from his chin. "I told you, I can handle it. Just bring me the fastest motorcycle you've got and you can call it a day."

"I'll be your escort," Ronin said stubbornly, "along with my best team. There's no arguing it."

"Fine," Tara said, rolling her eyes. "If it makes you happy, you can be my escort."

"I wasn't asking," Ronin said firmly.

"But if you're going to be my bodyguard, I expect a smile," Tara said with a cheeky smile of her own.

"Good bye Tara," Ronin called as he turned to go.

"You're no fun!" Tara called after him. Ronin let a half smile graze his lips after her had left. Tara always had something that managed to bring out the best in him, no matter how many times he tried to deny it to himself.

And then there was the problem that he had a small infatuation with her- and she seemed to know it.

"Sir, we have some troubling reports," an agent approached Ronin. "It's that man again. He's setting up cameras again."

"Let him," Ronin said calmly. "We'll take care of them." Ronin went into the control room to watch the footage, and he shook his head as the bumbling man tried to set up cameras dangerously close to their headquarters.

"Should we do anything?" the woman in charge of the cameras asked.

"We need some way to distract him," Ronin said firmly. "Instruct team twelve to do so, please." The woman hit a button and Ronin watched as a line of young men and women set off to work.

One of them shot a grappling hook towards a building far away. The crazy guy setting up a camera recognized the sound.

"Does that mean-?" the man, who happened to be Professor Bomba, cried excitedly. "Yes! It very well could and- oh! I have to follow it!" The other agents took off as well, with a few objects tucked under their arms. Ronin gave a curt nod to the woman in charge of the computers before he left the room.

His agents never failed him. That was one thing he knew and could always count on.

* * *

"Oof!" MK muttered as she hit the floor for the third time. She wasn't having the best morning. Once the taxi cab had dropped her off at her dad's, she was sure things would get better. They hadn't. Already in the walk to the house, she had spilled her coffee all over her pants, tripped over her suitcase numerous times, and scuffed her new shoes.

Still, she tried to keep a positive outlook. Maybe this time, things would be different.

"Oh yes!" Professor Boomba shoved open the door to his house, gleefully whizzing past his daughter and running off into the woods that surrounded his home. MK only stayed awkwardly on the floor, unsure if she should go after him. She sat up and brushed the dirt off her jeans with a sigh. Her eyes drifted to her dad's house.

It was even more run down that she remembered. Then again, she hadn't been there in years.

"Dad?" MK rose to her feet, unsure of what to call after him. "DAD!" No reply came, as she expected. She picked up her suitcase and went inside. Surely he wouldn't mind.

She was greeted by her dad's robot dog, Ozzie, who ran around her in messy circles before "licking" her with his cold metal tongue. He was a robot prototype with only three legs because he was a work in progress. MK reached down to pat his metal head. Ozzie barked and continued to run around.

MK decided to move on. She took her stuff upstairs to the small room she had had as a little girl. She smiled at the fond memory of herself as a little girl. When her dad used to be sane. She pulled out a picture from her suitcase, exhaling deeply as her eyes scanned the photo of herself and her late mother. She felt tears prick her eyes as she recalled her mother. She missed her a lot.

"Well, Mom," MK said through her tears. "I'm _trying_."

"Ozzie, do you see these muddy footprints?" MK's dad called. "Do you know what this could mean?!"

"Dad?" MK called down. She got up and rushed back downstairs, her hand sliding down the banister as she took the stairs two at a time. "Dad, it's me. I called you, remember? After...the thing with Mom?"

"Mary-Katherine!" her dad exclaimed, his eyes softening. "Oh, I forgot. I'm sorry. I didn't see you when I went outside, is all."

"I was on the floor," MK said, and with her dad's questioning look, she hastily added, "It's a long story."

"Well now that you're here, I can, uh, help you take your stuff upstairs," Professor Boomba suggested.

"I already did." MK explained patiently.

"Ah. Of course." The professor looked worried. "H-How are you doing? About the situation with- your mother? W-We can talk about it, if you'd like."

"Um, it's been getting a little better," MK offered softly, even though it was all a lie. "I've been reading about the five stages of grief.

"O-Of course. So how was the ride here?"

"Fine."

"Good, good. Hey, you remember Ozzie, right?" her dad changed the subject. "I know what you're thinking. Twelve years and I still haven't given him another leg, huh?"

"Dad," MK cut in, feeling as though she might explode. "We need to talk. I'm seventeen. Almost ready to be an adult, and-"

"Time flies, huh?" her dad said, oblivious.

"I'm almost old enough to be on my own," MK said, "so..."

"Y-Yes, you're growing so fast," her dad went on, adjusting the glasses perched on his nose nervously. "It's been so long since I've seen you, Mary-Katherine."

"MK." MK said quickly.

"Huh?" her dad asked.

"I go by MK now," she replied.

"MK," her dad echoed. "I-I like it. It sounds...so grown up... It'll be a pain to remember, that's for sure, after countless years of saying your name is Mary-Katherine." He gave a laugh, but it was light and sounded forced.

"Dad..." MK sighed, "can we please talk? I need for you to know that I want to-"

"Mary-Katherine...I mean, MK..." her dad began, cutting her off. "I just-" She never found out what he was about to say, because a beeping came from his phone. He quickly turned it on.

"What is it?" MK asked.

"They're around here," her father said breathlessly.

"Who is?" MK said, though she dreaded the answer.

"The spies!" her dad cried.

"Dad, spies don't exist," MK said impatiently. "You're letting this...this... nonsense consume you!"

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," her dad said, and he ran out of the house for the second time. MK gave a frustrated sigh. Why was her dad always so... psychotic? Finally she took out a paper and decided to write the whole thing down on paper.

_Dear Dad,_

_Please know it's not you. I'm not mad at you; I just feel as though it's best if I stay away. Mom asked me to try. I did, but you won't listen. I can't live with your work, that's all. Please, just stop all this spy nonsense. Other than that, I want to live by myself for other reasons too. It's best that I become independent- I'd be holding you back from your ideal life, anyway. I'm sorry. I love you, though; never forget that._

_-MK_

Once she had taped the paper over one of his many computers that lined the walls, she took a deep breath. Ozzie ran by and MK gave him a soft smile.

"Bye, Ozzie," MK whispered. "Tell Dad I love him." And she went upstairs, took her stuff, and left. Stepping outside, she took a deep breath. It was time to follow her own destiny.

* * *

**Thanks for reading this far if you did. I honestly don't know how long this story could go on for, but I'm willing to give it a try, see where it goes. Please review, follow, favorite, the works, and please take a chance on this story!**


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